Q: I recently bought a new gun and forgot to inform the police within the required seven-day gun notification period to add it to my licence. I have now sent the police the required paperwork but it is six weeks since I bought the gun. Should I call the police…
Gun laws
Have a query about UK gun laws? Wondering how to get your shotgun licence or firearms certificate? How to store your gun and how to transport it? What happens if you have been in ill-health?
Here are the answers to these questions and many more concerning gun ownership.
Frequent updates
The laws on gun ownership change frequently, with debates by MPs on the subjects regularly in the news. We keep you updated with what is going on here, with all you need to know as a responsible and safe shooter.
Our experts have written many different articles on gun law, with regular updates when legislation changes. Browse through the topics here to find the answers you are looking for. If you have a question on a particular aspect of gun law then get in touch by e mailing us at shootinguk@timeinc.com and we will do what we can to help.
You might also like to visit our general legal section, which covers a variety of issues.
What does the law say about carrying a shotgun in public?
I'm a student living in the centre of Cambridge and quite regularly cycle to shoot on land on the outskirts of the city where I have rights, or to our local clay ground.
How long will it take you to get your shotgun and firearms certificates?
As in our last report, the City of London offers the shortest waiting times for receiving a new (or renewal of a shotgun certificate). Apply there and you can expect results in nine days, although previously it took five and three days respectively. The tables below were created by the…
Is my UK shotgun certificate valid abroad? Or do I need more documents?
Q: I’ve been invited to shoot in France next season. Will my shotgun certificate be valid over there? You will need your SGC and also a European Firearms Pass which can be obtained at no cost from your local police. The airline/ferry/tunnel will want to know you are travelling with firearms.…
New gun laws could have ‘unintended consequences’
The Countryside Alliance (CA) and BASC have both warned of “unintended consequences” for shooters stemming from the Government’s proposed new Offensive Weapons Bill. Announced by the Home Office earlier this month, the Bill forms part of the Government’s Serious Violence Strategy and had yet to be published at the time…
What happens if you admit to health problems on your shotgun licence renewal?
Shotgun licence renewal: What happens if you admit to having health problems when renewing a gun licence? David Frost finds out.
Shooters oppose unjust airgun law
Further restrictions on airgun use in England and Wales would be “disproportionate” and “bad law”. That is the firm response from shooting groups as the Home Office draws its review of airgun licensing to a close. The review was launched to consider whether existing legislation is sufficient to prevent children…
Is it illegal not to carry your shotgun or firearms licence?
Is it law that we should carry our shotgun/firearm certificates with us every time we go out with the gun?
Storing guns: advice from the police
“Many people don’t realise that the law does not actually require you have a purpose-made firearms cabinet,” said Dave Mathias, Explosive Liaison Officer with the Devon and Cornwall Police. “It just says that all reasonable measures must be taken to ensure their safe keeping. We do have to take a…
Moving house and your gun certificates – what you need to know
It is a criminal offence not to obey the conditions on your firearm or shotgun certificate. One of which particularly concerns moving house. Condition 3 on every firearm and shotgun certificate says: “The holder of this certificate must, without undue delay, inform the chief officer of police by whom the…
Worried about my shotgun certificate renewal
I am applying for a new shotgun licence and when the policeman came to visit he did not even bother to look at my gun safe. Before he left, he said he had to take my old licence with him. When I said I needed it, he said he would…
Gun security in your car – your responsibilities
The shooting season is now well underway and so I think that a timely reminder about gun security in your car would not go amiss. I’m told by my colleague, Detective Chief Superintendent Jo Chilton of the National Ballistic Intelligence Service, that there have been targeted thefts of shotguns in the North West. Certificate holders are…
Can I lose my firearms licence because I drink over the recommended weekly limit?
Q: I have applied for the renewal of my licences and have been told by my firearms enquiry officer (FEO) that because I drink more than the Government weekly limit, he will refuse to renew the licences because I am intemperate. I go to the local pub three days a…
Use of airguns in England and Wales under review
The Government is being urged not to introduce additional legislation restricting the use of airguns in England and Wales, which is under review after a child was wounded in Bristol. The Countryside Alliance (CA) said that though it is right that gun laws should be revisited when tragedies occur, “we…
When you need written authority for gun loans
Q: I have noted with pleasure recent changes in the law over borrowing shotguns. I allow a local pigeon shooter to shoot over my farm, and he would like to bring his 16-year-old son with him and lend him his gun for use under supervision. I am quite happy with…
How to get your shotgun certificate
Find out how to apply for a shotgun licence, plus more information on waiting times, fees and the appeals process
Gun lending rules
Q: When a person lends a shotgun to a non-certificate holder on a private shoot, must the gun be on their certificate? Loans of shotguns and gun lending on private premises is now regulated by the Policing and Crime Act 2017. Section 130 of the act merely states: “A person…
The Code of Good Shooting Practice – why you should read it again
If you’re a responsible shooter, then you need to know the standards the shooting code sets … The Code of Good Shooting Practice — a summary Shooting behaviour: individuals must observe safety, the law and respect for quarry and other wildlife. Responsible shooting: Guns must shoot within their capabilities; shoots…
Should our police be armed?
When you’re up against today’s breed of religious nutter, who’d want a job as a tactical cop in a firearms response team? Slotting an escaped bullock or a gun-wielding loner in a quiet country lane is one thing; dropping a knife crazed fanatic in a crowded city street, something entirely different.…
Can you leave rifles and shotguns unattended in cars?
I have just completed the DSC Level 1 and was told during the course that I am only allowed to have a rifle in my car while going to and from my stalking ground.